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The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age Hardcover – July 5, 2022

by Jake S. Friedman (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 92 ratings
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An essential piece of Disney history has been largely unreported for eighty years.

Soon after the birth of Mickey Mouse, one animator raised the Disney Studio far beyond Walt’s expectations. That animator also led a union war that almost destroyed it. Art Babbitt animated for the Disney studio throughout the 1930s and through 1941, years in which he and Walt were jointly driven to elevate animation as an art form, up through Snow White, Pinocchio, and Fantasia.

But as America prepared for World War II, labor unions spread across Hollywood. Disney fought the unions while Babbitt embraced them. Soon, angry Disney cartoon characters graced picket signs as hundreds of animation artists went out on strike. Adding fuel to the fire was Willie Bioff, one of Al Capone’s wiseguys who was seizing control of Hollywood workers and vied for the animators’ union.

Using never-before-seen research from previously lost records, including conversation transcriptions from within the studio walls, author and historian Jake S. Friedman reveals the details behind the labor dispute that changed animation and Hollywood forever.
 
The Disney Revolt is an American story of industry and of the underdog, the golden age of animated cartoons at the world’s most famous studio.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Chicago Review Press
  4. Publication date
    July 5, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    164160719X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1641607193
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jake S. Friedman has done an impressive job of research, to put it mildly. Without knowing the sequence of events it’s impossible to understand how this bitter strike came about. Add to that the perceived insults, slights, and resentments and you have the stuff of great drama.” —Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian, author of Of Mice and Magic

“Author Jake S. Friedman takes us on a deep dive into Hollywood history delivered in a style that reads like a film noir page turner. I could not put this book down.” —Don Hahn, producer of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King

“Gangsters, backroom deals, murder, and . . . cartoons? I’ve long been interested in the 1941 Disney strike, and Jake S. Friedman’s book does not disappoint. Well written and thoroughly researched—a great read!” —Pete Docter, director of Monsters Inc., Up, Inside Out, and Soul

“Friedman’s research is comprehensive, the cast of characters succinctly etched. Most impressive, in the candid telling of this tale of labor relations and film art, are the all-too-human stories woven with equity throughout. Highly recommended.” —John Canemaker, Oscar-winning filmmaker, animation historian, and author

“As engaging as it is informative, Friedman weaves a compelling chronology of the confluence of two industry leaders and the collision course that forever changed the industry they both helped to build.” —Mindy Johnson, author of Ink & Paint

“A complex, captivating account of the collision between hard-fought labor rights and the flights of fancy that would charm millions and make millions.” —David Alpern, veteran Newsweek senior editor

“The Disney Revolt is a lasting work of historiography and storytelling. With the skill and verve of a master artisan from the era he illuminates, Jake S. Friedman recounts an epic tale.” —Michael Dolan, editor, American History magazine

"Disney and animation historians and readers of American labor history will find a fascinating chronicle of an essential labor dispute in twentieth century America." — Booklist

"A fascinating look at how the Disney magic happened, and how close it came to tumbling down." — Library Journal

"[The Disney Revolt] is a fascinating account of the virulent labor tussle at Disney Studios that pitted the unbending company founder against one of his most valuable and innovative artists" — The Wall Street Journal

"[The Disney Revolt] was written for a broader audience with the hope that anyone, even those without a background or interest in animation and history, could draw inspiration from it. The book is a call to action." — The Jewish Exponent

"An easy read with its business aspect and its trip down Memory Lane. If you’re interested in labor relations or if you’ve always been a fan of The Mouse, this book’ll have you trapped." — The Nashville Ledger

"This is an eye-opening book full of many fascinating stories about a World War II-era Hollywood labor battle, and even readers who are familiar with the history of animation, or the growth of entertainment industry unions, will discover something new in its pages." — CineMontage

"...The Disney Revolt works not only as a fascinating story, meticulously researched, and engagingly written. It also holds up as a still-relevant tale in organizing and recognizing that all work, even producing cartoons, is still a job, and that allies, and enemies, in the class struggle are not always drawn in black and white." — New York Labor History Association

About the Author

Jake S. Friedman is an animation historian and author of The Art of Blue Sky Studios and The Disney Afternoon. He has appeared as an expert on TV documentaries and written for Animation Magazine, American History Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Philadelphia Daily News. He worked for ten years as an animation artist on television shows and features, and now works as a mental health specialist, teaching the occasional History of Animation course at NYU or FIT. He lives with his wife in New York City. www.JakeSFriedman.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press (July 5, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 164160719X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641607193
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.41 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

About the author

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Jake S. Friedman

Jake S. Friedman

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Jake S. Friedman is a New York–based writer, teacher, and artist. He is a longtime contributor to Animation Magazine, and has also written for American History Magazine, The Huffington Post, Animation World Network, Animation Mentor, and The Philadelphia Daily News. For ten years he was animation artist for films and television such as on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Saturday Night Live. He currently teaches History of Animation at Fashion Institute of Technology and at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. The rest of the time he is a mental health practitioner.

Visit him at www.JakeSFriedman.com

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
92 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read of American animation history
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
History often romanticizes individuals especially Walt Disney and his legacy. However, reading this book reveals how humanly complicated Walt Disney was. He was an ordinary man with a vision who was lucky enough to have a group of hard-working artists like Art Babbitt to fulfill that dream.

Same with Art Babbitt or the Nine Old men. I felt like they were the gods of animation who could easily animate anything without issues. That wasn't the case especially with Babbitt. At times, he toiled and struggled with animation. It was reassuring to know that he shared the same struggles I have when animating.

At the end of book, I didn't feel a particularly way towards the strikers or non-strikers. I didn't even feel more anti-disney at the end of it. I felt like I learned a piece of animation history that isn't discussed enough. With that, I was satisfied.

The greviences and sentiments that the strikers had still ring true today 100 years later.

Regarding Art Babbitt and his legacy, I am happy to know that his seminar notes became The Animator's Survival Kit. A book often given to every beginner's first step to learn animation.

Even though the book centers around Art Babbitt, it gives an unbiased account of what happened during the 1941 Disney Animation Strike.

10/10 I recommend who wants to learn more about American or animation history. Also, I recommend this book to those who wants to learn about unions and it's early history.
2 people found this helpful
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Vimacone
5.0 out of 5 stars The Controversial Disney Strike
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2022
Verified Purchase
The Disney strike of 1941 has been a highly controversial chapter in the company’s history. So much has been said of it over the years and a lot of sometimes deliberate misinformation was spread with the intention to smear Walt Disney. In reality, Walt was hardly the bad guy in this situation, but got caught up in unfortunate circumstances.

Up until this point, there has never been a book devoted to the strike. Although it has been discussed in other books; Authors such as Michael Barrier and John Canemaker provide the most reliable accounts.

Friedman does an excellent job at telling the backstories of the key players in the strike, Walt Disney, Art Babbitt, Gunther Lessing, Herb Sorrell and Willie Bioff. the events that led up to the strike, both at the studio, Hollywood, and the labor movement. There is no agenda either in vilifying or sanctifying either side or ideology.

I wish there was a discussion or listing of all the strikers and non-strikers that were laid off as part of the settlement. An even more interesting discussion would be what they did after leaving the studio. I know Tex Avery, who left WB while the strike was going on, hired a lot if his MGM crew off the picket line. So much in our popular culture, such as cartoon characters, comic strips, studios, art styles, and children’s books, probably would never have been possible without their departures. Although that’s probably best for another publication.

A must read.
8 people found this helpful
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Dutch
4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful story, weak storytelling
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
I've enjoyed the history packed into this book. Although a bit into the weeds into peoples early childhoods, etc.
And the narrator who did this audio book has a wonderful voice, yet misses the mark by a mile. He delivers the story in a breathy, dramatic, often jarring manner. He emphasizes the wrong word in a thought as often as not. It takes the listener out of the story again and again and is hard to let his mis-firing narration slide.
Time for a Mulligan in the VO.
2 people found this helpful
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Jamie Hecker
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid narrative and a deeply researched story of a unique story within the history of TWDC.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
Mr. Friedman candidly outlines that his research and writing of "The Disney Revolt" took over ten years. This certainly bears fruit in the final product. Characters in the history of Disney are fully fleshed out, giving the reader tremendous insight into their personalities, skills and artistic talents and growth. The focus is on animator Art Babbitt, once held in high-esteem by Walt but who, eventually, became persona non grata at the Studio following his leadership in the animators strike of 1941. Although rehired, his best days at Disney were behind him. Regardless, his contributions to the legacy of Disney animation came full circle when he was honored for his animation during Disney's Golden era (1932 to 1942, with progressively sophisticated shorts and the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, up to Bambi), when he was named a Disney Legend in 2007.

This book is highly recommended for animation enthusiasts, and Disney history enthusiasts, casual or serious. Friedman does a wonderful job of outlining the history of organized labor in the 20th century, a topic that continues to resonate today. The discipline at the time was animation, and today unionization efforts focus on newer disciplines such as coffee baristas, and timeless subjects such as warehouse employees.
7 people found this helpful
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J.P. Cummings
5.0 out of 5 stars What caused the "Great Revolt" at Disney in 1940?
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
A companion piece with Tom Sito's "Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson," Jake S. Friedman's excellent book highlights the Disney studios most traumatic period and examines it's history in an engaging and unbiased manner.

Exceptionally well researched and documented with copious sources, The Disney Revolt gives the fullest and most complete picture possible about the tumultuous strike in 1940. A turning point for the studio (and the relationship between Walt Disney and Art Babbitt), the strike forever changed the dynamic between labour and management in the animation pipeline. This is a vital text in evaluating the history and consequences of the nascent history of labour in the motion picture industry.
4 people found this helpful
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Donald Gardner
5.0 out of 5 stars Nailed it!
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2023
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Jake, thx so much for this artful rending of Disney world... before. I grew up with Disney in the 50s and only saw his world (the cartoons, Mickry Mouse Club, Disneyland...) through a child's eyes. Thank you for pulling back the curtain. Well done!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Frank Holmkvist
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Germany on October 7, 2023
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Great book
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Nathan B
5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Triumph and Tragedy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is great reading for anyone interested in Disney or animation history. A lot has been published about Walt Disney. Not a lot has been published about Art Babbitt. This book gives a detailed and very entertaining account of the Disney Strike, of which both men were major players.

It was worth it Art. It was worth it.
2 people found this helpful
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